Some Surprising Things that Affect Employers’ Hiring Decisions

Some Surprising Things that Affect Employers’ Hiring Decisions.jpg

We all know plenty of do’s and don’t’s in the hiring process. Do create a powerful executive resume that communicates your brand and unique value proposition, and do carry that image over into your LinkedIn profile. Don’t make your executive resume a boring account of employers, lists of responsibilities, etc….. yawn, yawn.

And once you have actually landed an interview, we all know that you do not want to air any grievances you may have had with your last employer as you interview with a prospective employer. You want to be on time (better, a little bit but not too much early), dress appropriately, etc. These are interview guidelines familiar to most of us.

However, a recent article in Business Insider listed a number of things that could affect the outcome of your interview (and the ultimate hiring decision), many of which you may not be aware. For example:

1. Glassdoor says that 10:30 AM on a Tuesday is the optimum time for an interview.

2. Try to interview on a sunny day… statistics show that interviewees perform better than they would on a rainy day. (Hey, you can’t really control the weather, but you could try to schedule for a day the weather prognosticators think will be sunny.) 

3. Here’s one you probably can’t control, unless someone happens to reveal to you when your most qualified rival will be interviewing. You are better off NOT interviewing on the same day as that person. You will be compared and ranked in reference to people that interview on the same day as you do, which could hurt your rating.

4. DON’T accept anything to drink except for water. You are cutting into your interviewer’s day if he or she has to see to getting you a cup of coffee, a potential annoyance even if it WAS their idea.

5. When you take a seat… HINT: NOT until after you are offered one, or they have settled into a chair.

6. What you do with your hands… There are seven sub-points to this one, of which all are worth making note. One that stood out to me: Do not shake hands with your palms down as this is a sign of dominance.

Intrigued?  I encourage you to read the full article containing all 18 items that affect whether you’ll get hired for that fantastic new executive opportunity here:

http://www.businessinsider.com/things-that-affect-whether-you-get-hired-2014-9?op=1

Remember, no matter how great your executive resume is, it can only get you in the door. What you do once you enter that door is critical.

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